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Are you curious about trying CBD oil for yourself, but skeptical of what some say tastes like dirt? While CBD oil can have a natural earthy flavor, there are many ways to still enjoy its benefits even if the flavor’s not for you. Read on to explore a variety of options for finding CBD that pleases any palate.
What Does CBD Oil Taste Like?
To be clear, like most herbal tinctures leveraged for their medicinal properties, CBD oil itself is medicinal in nature; it’s not intended to be a tasty treat. If you enjoy greens, earthy flavors, or the slightly bitter edge of dark chocolate, there's a good chance you won't mind the natural flavor of CBD oil. But it might not be a delicious flavor you find yourself craving (let’s call it an acquired taste). Plus, as CBD oil is typically held under the tongue for faster absorption, its flavor may be a deal breaker for those who can't get past its taste.
On its own, CBD oil comes off as rather earthy and grassy—while some find it relatively bitter. It’s subjective, really. The flavor can also vary from tincture to tincture, depending on the carrier oil used to make it. Some CBD oil is infused with additional natural flavors to help balance what can safely be deemed as an acquired taste. If you're unsure, you may want to opt for a flavored tincture right out of the gate—but know that it’s fairly easy to mask the flavor of hemp in CBD oil. Keep on reading for our breakdown of how you to find a CBD oil you like, in addition to ways to completely mask the hemp flavor (if you’re averse) with things you already have in your kitchen.
Finding CBD Oil That Fits Your Taste
If standard CBD oil doesn't vibe with your tastebuds, you'll want to explore a few different factors before trying something new—the carrier oil it’s made with, whether or not it’s full spectrum, and how concentrated it is.
CBD oil is always made with a food-grade carrier oil, so what you’re tasting is actually a tinge of hemp flavor from the CBD. The most common carrier oils are:
- Hemp Seed Oil—A nutty oil that tastes like walnuts or sunflower seeds. It can be earthy and mildly bitter.
- Coconut Oil—A borderline flavorless oil, so CBD’s earthy flavor profile remains strong.
- MCT Oil—It has no taste or smell, so the hemp flavor is strong. However, it also comes with a host of potential health benefits.¹
- Olive Oil—It can be peppery and bitter. Paired with CBD it may be too robust for some.
If you want an all-natural experience, opt for coconut oil or MCT oil—they are flavorless and will neither mute nor amplify the taste of the CBD itself.
Next, you'll want to examine whether the CBD oil is full spectrum, broad spectrum, or isolated. Full spectrum and broad spectrum CBD oils each contain cannabinoids, terpenes, and other plant compounds from the hemp plant—enabling an entourage effect that may help the CBD to be more effective.² However, if flavor is a non-negotiable, you might want to choose a CBD oil made with an isolate—as it won't contain terpenes. Terpenes are natural aromatic compounds found in every plant on earth that are responsible for how they smell and taste. Thus, removing the terpenes from the oil also removes the flavor—so CBD isolate is sort of a “blank slate” when it comes to taste. (Which is why a majority of flavored tinctures you’ll find use a CBD isolate.)
Finally, you'll want to consider potency levels. CBD oils with lower concentrations mean they are a bit thinned out and made with more carrier oil than CBD. With that logic in mind, less CBD and more oil make for a less intense hemp flavor. On the other hand, a highly concentrated CBD oil may contain more CBD and less oil—meaning you're likely to taste more of the hempy flavor.
Making The Flavor of CBD Oil Work For You
At the end of the day, most CBD oil has an earthy hemp flavor. If that’s not for you—that's okay! There are many different ways to adjust it to your liking. We've outlined a few examples below.
Use Flavored CBD Oil
Since hemp flavor can be offputting for some, there are lots of flavored CBD tinctures available that you may find more palatable. Flavored CBD oils taste like whatever they're made with. With Lazarus Naturals, you can enjoy CBD oil tinctures in flavors like Wintermint, Blood Orange, Mint Chocolate, Strawberry Lemonade, and a rotating variety of seasonal offerings. Each flavor helps balance out the earthy undertones of hemp and makes for a refreshing CBD oil you can mix into your favorite foods and beverages—or just enjoy as is.
Mix CBD Oil Into Foods & Beverages
There are lots of things around the kitchen that can balance out the flavor of CBD oil. One of the most popular ways is to take CBD oil with a spoonful of peanut butter. However, CBD does well in a wide variety of foods and beverages. You can mix CBD oil into salad dressing, infuse it into any favorite recipe, or add your desired serving into a smoothie, tea, or coffee. These are easy ways to reap the potential benefits of CBD oil while only tasting the desired food or beverage.
Take CBD Oil With A Chaser
If you take a serving of CBD oil under your tongue, feel free to enjoy a drop of honey, yogurt, or breath mints along with it. You can also keep a snack handy so that once you finish holding the oil beneath your tongue, you can enjoy something like a piece of candy, chocolate, or a favorite salty snack to help “wash down” any hemp flavor. It probably goes without saying, but you can also go with a tasty fruit juice, coffee, tea, or milkshake as a chaser. Whatever works for you!
Brush Your Teeth Beforehand
Brushing your teeth leaves behind an extremely potent minty flavor that overpowers pretty much everything for a little while. If you'd like to integrate CBD into your morning or evening routines, it may help to save it until after you brush your teeth. The minty flavor of toothpaste or mouthwash will help overpower the natural flavor of hemp.
Breathe Through Your Nose
While this isn't a super effective way to mask the flavor, it's worth mentioning breathing through your nose can help avoid tasting the hemp. After you drop your serving of CBD oil beneath your tongue, breathe in and out through your nose. You’ll mute the flavor by not drawing air over your tongue. (If you're feeling brave, you can even try holding your nose. Blocking your nose makes your taste receptors less sensitive to flavors, so it may help fare with the hempy taste of the oil.)
Try CBD Edibles, Softgels, or Capsules
If you want to skip the flavor of CBD altogether you can always go with CBD edibles, capsules, or softgels. CBD edibles, like gummies or chocolates, are a tasty way to get all of the potential benefits of CBD in one delicious bite. Edibles are made with CBD distillate, which removes all plant flavors from the oil—leaving behind tasty, bite-sized morsels that won’t taste like anything other than a treat.
On the other hand, CBD softgels and capsules are completely flavorless thanks to their familiar format. All you’ll do is pop them into your mouth and allow them to metabolize in your stomach. You won't taste them at all—but you'll definitely feel them!
You’ve Got Options
At the end of the day, knowing what to expect from your CBD oil in terms of flavor may make it easier to find a product you enjoy and a delivery method that works for you. Whether you opt for a flavored CBD tincture or go all-natural, there’s no wrong way to enjoy it. You can even explore other options like edibles, capsules, and softgels. At Lazarus Naturals, you’re in good hands no matter which method you pick. We exist to support our customers with effective, high-potency, third-party tested offerings that are crafted to support you at each step of your wellness journey.
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Sources:
¹https://health.clevelandclinic.org/mct-oil-benefits/
²https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2018.01969/full